It’s much more difficult to lead a church to growth today than it was a few decades ago.

I don’t think most church leaders realize most attendance decline is due to less frequent attendance from members.

I love the theological resurgence we’ve seen in our churches.

Don’t be the leader who is so far out in front of your people that you’re mistaken for the enemy and get shot in the rear.

Conflict and disunity is a great Great Commission distraction.

Unresolved conflict in a church leads to disunity.

The most expensive church hire you’ll ever make is the wrong one.

The six reasons church growth is more difficult today are:

Cultural Christians are much less likely to attend.

More committed Christians are attending less frequently.

An overcorrection to practical ministry.

Activities replacing ministry.

Growing conflict and disunity in congregations.

Entitlement mentality among some church members.

Episode Sponsor

Vanderbloemen Search Group is the premier pastor search firm dedicated to helping churches and ministries build great teams. They’ve helped hundreds of churches just like yours find their church staff and are uniquely geared to help you discern who God is calling to lead your church. Find out more about Vanderbloemen Search Group by visiting WeStaffTheChurch.com.

Resources

Comments

I noticed you use the terms Cultural Members and Committed Members. Are these terms similar to Carnal Christians and Spiritual Christians used by Lewis Sperry Chafer in the first half of the 20th Century? I am currently doing a six month research project on LS Chafer as part of my doctoral studies at Columbia Evangelical Seminary and was wondering if there is some correlation between the two sets of terms.

I think the two terms are similar but not synonymous, especially when referring to carnal and cultural. I see the term cultural Christians referring to those whose interest in the church is primarily based upon an attraction to the benefits of church membership. Things like meaningful relationships or wholesome activities come to mind. They are perhaps attracted to the historical basis of church membership; my grandmother or childhood friends attended church. They might even be attracted to the business connections afforded through church relationships. The issue at play is being attracted to the benefits of church membership and not being attracted to a genuine relationship to Christ. As the benefits of church membership change due to cultural shifts the value of church membership declines for the cultural Christians.

I think the category for carnal Christians is much broader and would include Christians who have fallen into sin, those who are just burned out, those who have become distracted and perhaps many more.

But God says He is the one to grow the church, NOT the pastor. Your points are excellent. Don’t forget that IF we are in the “last days” we can expect to see exactly what we are seeing – neither hot nor cold.
BTW — our church has seen 499 accept Christ and be baptized this year so far.

I did not listen to the podcast, but I think a large problem with church growth is other Christians who want everyone to have the exact same ideas as they do. I think the problem has been around a while but got worse when in the 80s when the older people controlled the churches and the younger were constantly criticized for liking rock music, guys having long hair, women being seen as equals, etc. Then partisan politics entered churches and people on one side decided not to like people on the other side and them blamed them for all of the woes. Then partisan politics entered the pulpit and you had pastors taking sides and lambasting those on the opposite side. This further stunted the growth of the congregation. Now people are listening to the sermons online and trying to figure out where the church lies on the political spectrum before ever attending in person.

I do agree with you that conflict and disunity are major problems, but too often leadership did not want to know what was really going on in the congregation and, therefore, did not ask anyone what was going on because they did not want to hear the answers. This led to the conclusion that everything was fine. However, at the boil-over point the issue began to be discussed in online chat rooms and message boards under the cloak of anonymity. Often, the problems were with the leadership, but there is generally no way to replace the leadership in many churches.

I realize this is for the individual believer, but the principal is a body of believers making the church
1 Cor 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
Acts 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

God builds the church – What man does is sinning. Work on the sin problem and watch the Lord. Try praising the Lord as Luke recorded. Someone needs to plant though. try some street witnessing or sharing wherever you are at (shopping, eating etc.)

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,…

I didn’t listen to the podcast, so you may have already answered this. Just curious, do you agree that “Big” church (in numbers) does not always equal “healthy” church? I live in an area where Mega Churches are the norm and have struggled to find anything other than the “feel good, seeker” type of preaching. It’s very frustrating. I understand that Pastors want their churches to grow, but at what price?